Stepping Stone
by aerococonut
Summary: When two people are meant to be together, destiny keeps pulling them back to each other. Each stepping stone marks a point in her life, although only the moments with him matter. ShauntalxGrimsley


**A/N: **This is a requested piece for Sweet-but-Psycho, about the themes behind 'stepping stone' and how they relate to Shauntal and Grimsley's relationship. Stepping stone is the meaning of Shauntal's name, and hence the reason this story came into existence. I must also thank my sister-type for the two amazing pieces of fanart she drew me, which currently sit on my wall. One is of the first date, and the other is of child-Shauntal handing a ball to uber-cute Grimsley. I have to acknowledge those pictures as a contributor to my inspiration.

**... ... ... ... ...**

**Stepping Stone**

"_A beautiful baby girl! What will you call her?"_

_The tired, but radiant woman beamed lovingly as she looked at the tiny, perfect infant in her arms. "I believe her name should be Shauntal." _

"_That's pretty. Does it have a special meaning?"_

"_It means 'stepping stone'..." _

**... ... ... ... ...**

"Hey, beautiful girl! Ready for your first day of school tomorrow?"

The girl in question beamed excitedly, her glasses balanced precariously on the end of her nose. She laughed as her mother ruffled her short, purple hair. "Yes, mama! Look what I did!" She presented her mother with lopsided letters scrawling 'Shauntal'. "It's my name!" She grinned mischievously; waiting for the praise she knew was coming.

"That is your name! Gosh, what a smart girl you are!" The older woman smiled proudly down at the tiny girl. "You'll have no problem at school, I bet. You'll make lots of friends, and have so much fun." She informed her daughter, earning another wide grin. "Alright, off to bed with you. You have to be rested for tomorrow." She picked her up and placed her down in her bed. "Now, go to sleep. Tomorrow's a big day!"

Shauntal solemnly said she would and obediently lay down as her mother placed the covers over her. "Night mama," she yawned.

"Goodnight, Shauntal my darling. See you in the morning." She placed a soft kiss against her daughter's forehead and got up. Turning out the lights, she shut the door and walked out.

"School, school!" Shauntal chanted to herself quietly. "School tomorrow!" She repeated the mantra until she fell asleep.

When her mother came in to wake her up, she was already up and attempting to put on her school clothes by herself. Somehow, she'd managed to get the buttons on her dress stuck in her hair.

"Oww," she cried, sniffing pitifully.

"Poor girl," her mother said, hiding a smile as she untangled the mess and helped Shauntal dress herself by giving her a thicker coat to wear over her dress. Finally, she grabbed a hairclip and tucked up a lock of hair. "There you go, all ready! Now, how about some breakfast? School girls need to eat breakfast to think properly."

Breakfast passed quickly, but not quickly enough for the energetic almost-schoolgirl. "I wanna go now!" she begged, pulling on her mother's skirt.

"Soon, dear. Just be patient." The girl stuck her tongue out and stamped her foot.

"I wanna go now!" she repeated.

Her mother sighed and picked her up. "School girls don't whine, Shauntal."

She pouted and picked at the folds of her coat. "...Fine."

After what seemed like forever to the little girl, she was finally standing out the front of a huge, light blue building.

"...Is this the school?" she asked, awed. A gentle tug on her hand convinced her to continue walking forward.

They went in, and after what seemed an incredible length of time, –what with the signing in, the registration and endless amounts of paperwork- Shauntal was finally encouraged to 'go play and make friends'. This sounded like a great idea, so she walked forward, her eyes huge behind her glasses as she took in the kaleidoscope of colours, shapes and sounds around her.

She was too busy staring at her surroundings to notice the ball coming at her until it hit her arm.

"Oww!" She stamped her foot angrily, turning to glare at the source. She came face to face with a boy, his ice-blue eyes worried. She took in his casual clothes, feathery hair and his slightly-shorter-than-her height. "Who are you?" she demanded imperiously, picking up the ball. Her mother's words rang in her head about 'being nice and making friends'. So she smiled at him, earning a confused blink in return.

"I'm Grimsley," he muttered, looking away.

"My name is Shauntal!" She held out the ball, almost hitting him in the face as he looked up. "Let's be friends!" He didn't seem to know what to make of her.

"...Okay," he answered quietly, taking the ball back.

...

Their friendship lasted throughout the year, and the following four years. But things change. People change, and life hits you in the face when you least expect it.

Ten-year-old Shauntal sat down next to Grimsley. "Morning!" she said cheerily. He turned to her, his usual greeting smile gone.

"Hello, Shauntal." He sighed, resting his head against his hand.

She looked at him, wondering why her friend was so upset. "What's wrong?" she inquired.

He looked at her mournfully. "I'm moving." The words were incomprehensible to her. It was too sudden.

"...Moving? Why? Where to?" Her voice was raised, fear kicking in as she realized she was about to lose her best friend. Somehow, she knew what his next words were going to be.

"Away from here. To Undella Town, or Opelucid City. My parents haven't decided yet. But they want to move. They didn't even ask me!" He slammed his fist down on the table. "I don't want to leave, this is my home." He rested his head on the desk.

"Your parents," she muttered, disgusted. Rich, showy jerks, she thought privately, or something to that effect. They'd deliberately held back their son from starting school for two years, which was why Shauntal knew him at all. If he'd started school at the same time as everyone else his age, he'd be two grades higher than her. At least her parents were happy to let her play in the park, and have fun. Grimsley's parents never let him have fun.

"I'm sorry." He knew how she felt.

"Not your fault," she said sullenly, her good mood completely ruined.

Her day dragged on after that, and she couldn't focus on her work. She promised that she would try harder tomorrow, but that whole week, she was too upset.

And then he was gone.

**... ... ... ... ...**

Two years passed before she ran into him again.

She'd obtained her first Pokemon in that time, and she'd made a couple of friends as well, but they were too girly after having a boy best friend, and hated going to the park with her. She loved the park, with its huge, old trees and winding pathways.

She walked along, enjoying the silence and peace, until she found a figure sitting under a tree. The figure looked up, and she was completely surprised when her gaze met a pair of familiar, ice-blue eyes.

"Shauntal?" He asked, standing up quickly and staring at her.

She blinked and grinned wildly. "It is you! Hey Grimsley, how have you been?" She hugged him quickly, before stepping back. He'd finally grown taller, and he stood a few inches above her own short height.

"Shauntal, I- yeah, good, good." He smiled suddenly. "It's good to see you again. I went to your house, but you weren't there. So I came here instead."

She sat down, leaning against the tree. He joined her, flicking a wayward strand of hair out of his eyes. "Are you staying here for good?" She clapped her hands together excitedly, only to have her mood sink when he shook his head.

"No. It's just for today. Mother and Father had business to do, and I wanted to come. I miss you, and being here. My new school is terrible. So...proper. And the people there are a bunch of stick-in-the-muds." He snickered suddenly, and she couldn't help laughing. It was nice to know her friend was still in there somewhere.

"You should move back here!" she announced, earning a sigh in return. She poked his arm, raising an eyebrow when he turned to look at her.

"I wish I could," he said simply. "But I can't. I have to be back before five, and then tomorrow we're going home again."

She closed her eyes, the news hitting her like a blow. She'd finally found her best friend again, and he was going to leave. "Okay then." She stood up and held out a hand. "We just have to have fun! Play in the park with me!"

He looked bewildered, before mischief lit his eyes and he leapt to his feet. "Sounds great," he grinned.

They played right up until it was time for Grimsley to leave.

"I don't want you to go," she said suddenly, hugging herself. Her friends at school were nice, but they didn't understand her properly.

"I don't want to leave either, but I have to go. I'm sorry." He tried to smile, but the expression slid off his face almost immediately.

"When will you come back?" she asked quietly, accepting that she was powerless to change anything.

He shrugged. "I don't know."

"Oh...well, goodbye then." She nervously played with her hair, not knowing what else to say.

"Hey...we're friends. It doesn't matter about how long I'm gone. We'll see each other again, I'm sure."

She beamed, knowing in her heart that he was telling the truth. "Right. Well, I'll see you later then!"

"Until later then," he smiled sadly.

**... ... ... ... ...**

She scribbled idly on a piece of scrap paper. She'd finished the exam twenty minutes ago and double-checked her answers, and now she had to wait for the bell so she could get out of this hell hole.

It wasn't that she hated _school_, it was that she disliked the people _in_ it. She and the others at her high school had come to an unspoken agreement. She kicked all their asses in the tests, they bitched her out behind her back, and they left her the hell alone.

A fair compromise, in her opinion. The only highlight was her best –and only- friend sitting on the desk in front of her.

Litwick sensed her mistress' feelings and looked up, her little blue flame flickering. Her little mouth curved up, and she wriggled slightly.

_Liiii_ she hummed reassuringly.

_Not long now._ Shauntal thought wistfully, staring at the clock hanging on the wall.

After what seemed like forever, the bell finally rang and she leapt up, intent on freedom until her teacher called out "Shauntal, a word please?". Sighing under her breath, she walked up to the desk. "I just wanted to say..."

"I'm doing great in all my classes," she interrupted, knowing he was about to lecture her for being antisocial.

"Yes, I know. Well done, but it's not your academic progress that's worrying me. It's your social progress. High school is supposed to be the best time of your life-" Shauntal snorted, unable to help herself. Best time. Right. "-But you seem to reject all your classmates. They want to be friends Shauntal, you just have to give them a chance. It's always nice to have someone to talk to, and it will help you develop along the way."

She flicked her fingers against the edge of the desk. "Sir, my classmates are a bunch of immature juveniles. I wish for intelligent conversation, and they cannot provide that. I have no desire to listen to who kissed whom or whatever moronic topic they choose to converse about." She hid a private smile, knowing that her teachers always underestimated her vocabulary and intelligence. Though what she had said was the truth: she just didn't care about them; they didn't care about her.

Sure enough, her teacher blinked rapidly and had to think it through. "Oh...But see? That's the problem! You need to get to know them better, and then you'll find common interests. I think you should make friends, Shauntal. Otherwise, I fear you'll be lonely later on."

She rolled her eyes and raised her arms. "I have Litwick. Is she not good enough for you?" Her teacher held up his hands quickly. "Can I go now?" she begged, staring at the door, deciding she'd had enough of the useless lecture.

"Very well, but I want you to promise you'll think about what I said. You need friends, Shauntal. Nobody should be alone."

"I'm never alone. Litwick is my partner; I don't need anyone else. They keep to their world, I keep to mine," she said flatly.

Her teacher sighed and waved her away.

The next day, the sixteen year old studied her reflection, yanked a wayward strand of hair back into place, and sighed. "Who cares?" she mumbled under her breath, swinging her back onto her shoulder and lifting Litwick gently in her arms.

Litwick's flame never burned her skin, since the flames of Litwick and her evolutions only destroyed the soul, not the body. They, like many other Ghost Pokemon, had truly scary powers. She never found her beloved friend scary though.

It made her wonder if she had an affinity for Ghost Pokemon. Some of the greatest trainers only raised one type of Pokemon, but it was said they were so in tuned to each other that they could almost be called one entity. She looked down at her partner and smiled. It was another reason why her classmates always called her 'creepy', just because her partner was a Ghost type.

"Bah! They're all idiots, anyway. What do they know? Today's probably just going to be like every other day," she muttered, slamming the door on her way out.

Sure enough, she walked into class –early, naturally- and sat at her desk in the corner, next to the window. Crowds of giggling girls slowly walked in, and guys with their brains in their biceps tried vainly to get their attention.

_Spare me _she thought desperately, pulling out her favourite notebook. Lately, she'd taken to writing down words; phrases that popped into her head. Descriptions of scenes she found interesting, and characters with a variety of personalities. Anything that took her fancy. Even though the words were disjointed, she could almost believe she could weave them together into some form of magic.

She was too busy noting down more words when her teacher suddenly drew their attention by standing up.

"Now class, we have a new student joining us. He's just moved from Undella Town, so I want you to be nice." He went over and opened the door. "I would like to introduce you to-"

"_Grimsley?"_ Her jaw dropped as she recognized the feathery hair, ice-blue eyes, and when he smiled at her, the roguish grin she remembered from her childhood.

His face reflected her amazement. "Shauntal? Wow, I never thought you'd be here! It's nice to already have a friend in this place." He immediately wove through the seats to take the empty one next to her, dropping his bag on the floor carelessly.

"Err, well, I see you already know someone. That's good, that's good," the teacher floundered, his thoughts thrown by his antisocial student suddenly having a friend. "Uhh, Shauntal, perhaps you could look after Grimsley until he finds his way around the school?"

"Sure, sure," she said without really paying attention, still in a state of disbelief at her closest friend's sudden reappearance in her life. She was about to ask him what he'd done in the time he was gone, when the teacher resumed his lesson. Sighing, she fidgeted as she waited for the lesson to end.

A sudden nudge against her arm made her look up curiously. She caught his wink as he looked down at her arm. She picked up the scrap of paper and smiled. Their re-meeting wasn't as different as their first meeting.

Opening the paper, she read, _Is he always this boring?_ and snickered softly, nodding.

_You have no idea_ she scribbled back, quickly tossing it onto his desk while the teacher had his back turned.

It took a couple of minutes before she got a response, since her teacher decided to ask questions. _Well in that case, I guess you'll just have to educate me. Are you busy this afternoon, or would you like to reintroduce me to this place? It would be nice to catch up. Oh, and what happened to your hair clip? Did you give it to a suitor? _She looked up at the last line, to find Grimsley smirking at her, obviously ignoring the teacher. _Yes?_ he mouthed, grinning.

She looked down, remembering her beautiful, purple butterfly-shaped clip. She'd worn it every day until three days after her thirteenth birthday, when she'd dropped it and it had been stood on, breaking beyond repair. _"Education" sounds good. I still live at the same house, if you want to come round. Or we could walk around town; there are some nice new shops that weren't here when you visited last. As for my hair clip...it died a tragic death. I mourn it every day my hair gets in my eyes. I can't bear to replace it, though. And...suitor? Really Grimsley? Did you seriously think any of these assholes would ask _me_ out?_ _They don't want to know me, and I can't stand the lot of them. Besides, haven't you noticed my partner?_ She passed the note back, watching surreptitiously as he read it, and turned to her suddenly. His gaze met hers and then dropped to her desk, his eyes widening as he spotted the candle-like Pokemon.

He raised an eyebrow and gave her a secretive look, before ducking his head and picking up his pen. _"Education?" Is that what the kids are calling it these days? Shows how out of touch I've been. Shopping sounds good, and we can always change our minds later. I offer you my sympathies over the death of your hair clip. Perhaps we can find you a new one at the shops. Hmm, I seem to be sensing some anger towards your classmates. Do I need to beat them up for you? Isn't that a gentlemanly thing to do? Although, if they haven't asked you out, it's their own loss. Maybe they just can't handle strong, beautiful women. As for your partner, I can't wait to meet her. Maybe I can introduce you to my Pokemon as well. _

She blinked and mouthed _Your Pokemon?_ He nodded and smirked again. She was about to start writing her reply when the bell to finish school went. They'd managed to waste the rest of the lesson just writing notes. Granted, there hadn't been much time left, but still, for her –the model student- wasting so much time was unheard of.

The two walked outside into fresh air, and both started talking at the same time.

"Ladies first," Grimsley laughed.

She grinned. "Okay. I was going to say you have no idea how happy I am to see you again. It'll be nice to have someone intelligent to talk to, because the others around here have the mental capacity of a five-year-old!"

The sound of his laughter rang out through the courtyard. She ducked her head, slightly embarrassed about her statement, even if it was the truth. "Well, I was going to ask if you wanted to visit my house first so I can introduce you to my Pokemon. She's gorgeous, but I think your Pokemon might be the most adorable thing I've ever seen."

Litwick gave a _Liiii,_ and her flame waved violently. She turned away slightly, nestling against Shauntal's chest.

"I think you just made her blush," she teased, gently stroking the sides of her Pokemon's body. Litwick smiled, closing her visible eye in happiness.

"I get that a lot," he said offhandedly, causing a strange pang to go through her. She took a moment to study her old friend; _really_ study him. Taller than her by a head, his body lean, but not skinny, and his face was handsome, with chiselled jaw and his vivid, icy blue eyes that were different in a sea of greens, browns and plain blues. He was _really good looking_ her brain informed her. She blinked. She could see why the girls would look at him. "But anyway..." he trailed off when she didn't respond. "Shauntal?"

She shook her head to clear out her thoughts. "Sorry, was daydreaming. But yes! I'd love to meet your Pokemon."

"Great," he said, walking faster. "I live over there now, but it's only about a five minute walk."

The five minutes seemed to pass in a second; they were too busy catching up to notice the scenery.

"Well, this is my house." He rubbed the back of his neck as she gaped. House? _Mansion_ was closer to the truth. She knew his family had money, but _damn._

"It's...big," she said finally, reminding herself that standing around with your mouth hanging open isn't attractive. He gave her a worried glance at her sudden silence, but held the door open as she walked in.

A mewling sound drew her attention to a purplish shadow as it detached itself from the wall and jumped at Grimsley.

"Look out-" she cut off abruptly as a large grin split her friend's face.

"Shauntal, may I introduce you to Purrloin?"

She realized immediately that this was his Pokemon. The little feline purred contentedly in his arms, rubbing her head against his chin. "Hi, gorgeous." She held out a hand slowly. Her Pokemon was a Ghost, and she knew enough to recognize that Purrloin was a Dark-type. She didn't want her partner injured, so it was best to play it safe.

Purrloin delicately sniffed her fingers, and then rubbed her face against them, purring.

"I think she likes you," Grimsley commented, seemingly pleased by this fact.

"I like her too," she said, smiling. "This is my partner, Litwick." She raised Litwick slightly, the little Ghost already sizing up the feline.

_Liiiii_ Litwick chanted, and Purrloin rumbled loudly.

"I guess that means our Pokemon are going to be friends like us," she said, and then cursed herself for saying something so...dumb.

"I agree." He grinned at her, settling Purrloin onto his shoulder. "Now that I've collected my fair lady here," he stroked Purrloin for emphasis "how about we explore these new shops of yours?"

"Sounds great," she said with feeling, deciding that her life was finally starting to get interesting again.

...

Another year passed, and Shauntal had never been happier. She finally had someone to talk to, someone who understood her, didn't mock her partner or herself, and who was _genuinely a good person_.

"So, found a way to tie all those thoughts together yet?" Grimsley grinned as they walked along. She'd confided in him all the ideas floating around her head, and he'd suggested she write stories.

"No, not yet," she grimaced. She'd tried, opening a brand new notebook and jotting down whatever lines she thought of, but they seemed too disconnected. She needed a full _idea_.

"Well, keep at it, I'm sure you'll be good at it." His confidence made her cheeks warm.

"What about you?" she asked, quickly taking the focus off of herself.

"Me?" He looked away, and she got the feeling he was hiding something.

"Yes, you. Who else? Now, spill. What do you want to do with your life?"

"Well..." He ran a hand through his hair; something he did whenever he was nervous. "I...no, you'll laugh."

"I won't!" she swore, placing a hand over her heart, as if she was committing to an oath.

"I...want to join the Elite Four. It sounds stupid, I know, but they're the best trainers above all, and I enjoy battling the most. And I'm good at it," he said self-consciously, avoiding her gaze.

"Grimsley, that's amazing! And you are good at battling; you beat the crap out of that kid the other day with one Pokemon. I think you should go for it." In her opinion, it was a natural step up. She'd always thought of him as being elite, rich, powerful, good-looking. His entire family did, so why shouldn't he aim for the top?

"You really think so? Alright, I'll join the Elite Four...if you start writing your stories." He snickered at her face.

"You're terrible! Now you're bribing me?" She placed a hand on her hip, trying to pout, although her lips kept quirking into a smile.

"There's magic up here," he said, pressing his finger between her brows "that I believe needs to be shared. I think you have a talent, and I'd like to see what would happen if you let your imagination loose."

"I would probably destroy the world or something like that. My luck tends towards the fail-end of the spectrum." He burst out laughing, drawing the admiring glances of the girls at school. "Hey, stop laughing at me. Not everyone has your good loo- luck." She bit her lip. She'd almost admitted she found him good-looking. "Besides, I'm hopeless at battling. I get nervous every time someone attacks Litwick." She glanced at the Pokemon in her arms, who smiled reassuringly.

"I seriously doubt you could be _that_ bad."

"I am, trust me. If you ever saw me battle, you'd know." She raised her head, sticking her chin out.

His gaze searched her face intently. "I have never seen you battle," he said slowly, his expression thoughtful.

"That's because I never really accept challenges, since I usually lose."

"I believe...I want to."

"Huh?" she said eloquently, wondering if they were on different pages.

"Battle you. It's Friday, we only have a couple of hours of school left. Why don't we battle in the park this afternoon? We can go straight after school!" He grinned enthusiastically, the expression making him look like a mischievous schoolboy.

"Grimsley, you'll cream me. You have a Dark pokemon, I have a Ghost. You do the math." She rolled her eyes. It didn't take much to work out who was going to win.

"Are you afraid?" he asked teasingly, playing off her temper.

Sure enough, she frowned immediately, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "What would I be afraid of?" she questioned, her voice low.

"Oh, me of course. I mean, I'm good at battling, have the type advantage and far more experience. Naturally you'd be terrified. Don't worry Shauntal, you don't have to battle me if you don't want to," he said patronizingly, knowing exactly which buttons to push to get a reaction.

She didn't disappoint. "What?" she shrieked, whirling to confront him. Her childhood friend was openly smirking, both hands raised dismissively. "That's a whole heap of bullshit, Grimsley! Fine, I accept your stupid challenge. I'll meet you in the park after school!" She flounced off to her last class of the day, her blood boiling. _Boys!_

She completely missed the warm smile he followed her with, too busy muttering under her breath about battles.

That afternoon, she was tapping her foot in irritation under her favourite tree.

"Did I keep you waiting?" a soft voice asked into her ear, causing her to jump.

"You jerk!" she exclaimed, almost whacking her head against the tree. "Don't give me a heart attack like that!"

He chuckled, walking into view. "My apologies," he said completely unapologetically. She rolled her eyes. "Now, how about we make this interesting?"

"Interesting _how_?" She was immediately suspicious.

He held up a hand to ward off her protest. "Nothing serious. But if you win, I'll give you that ancient textbook sitting in my room."

Her jaw dropped open. That book was worth a fortune! She pretty much drooled over it every time she was over at his house. "What do you get if I lose?" Because she sure as hell didn't own anything worth that much.

"If I win..." he leaned in close to her face, causing her heart to start beating faster "...you have to go on a date with me," he finished with a blinding smile.

"Eh duh wha?" She couldn't seem to get her brain to start working again. She blinked and shook her head, starting again. "I mean...what? You'll give me a super rare book...and I just go on a date with you? How is that an even trade?" She wasn't going to even _think_ about his reasons for asking her out. Did Grimsley just ask her out? Or was it just something he knew would get to her? Why would he even choose that?

"Shauntal..." he sighed, glaring at her balefully. "Silly girl, why do you always underestimate yourself? Why shouldn't you be worth more than some old book?" He poked her in the middle of her forehead. "Besides, there's a new restaurant that just opened, and I wanted to see what it was like, and I didn't want to go alone. So I thought you might like to come with me." He waited expectantly, and she felt her heart sink.

"Oh, well...okay. I'm sure the restaurant is nice." Her voice was too low; she made an effort to seem more enthusiastic.

"Does this mean you accept my wager?" On his shoulder, Purrloin swished her tail.

"Alright," she whispered, moving away from the tree.

He creamed her, of course.

Litwick had managed to survive for an hour or so, but had eventually succumbed. It was her stupid temper's fault, Shauntal cursed under her breath. If she'd just used her common sense, she could have avoided this. "So...umm...What now?" Since when did she feel this awkward around him?

"Now, I could really use a shower. So how about we postpone out date until tomorrow night? I'm sure you don't want to go out straight after battling." He carried Purrloin in his arms; the little feline tired and sore after her victory.

"...Okay then. So...I'll see you tomorrow then," she said nervously, waving goodbye as they separated.

She trudged home, her thoughts whirling around and around. Date. She was going on a date with her best friend. Her _attractive_ best friend.

Her friend who was forever dating a different girl each week.

She sighed. Maybe she was the only girl left he hadn't actually taken out of something. No, wait, he wanted to go to the restaurant with her. That was a friendly thing to do, wasn't it?

She was so distracted that she almost walked past her mother when she got home.

"Oh, Shauntal dear, where's your overnight bag?"

She turned back, confused by the strange question. "Overnight bag? Why would you need to know?"

"So we can put it in the car, dear. Aren't you ready to go? We spent all day packing up the essentials; the rest will follow us in the truck. So just grab the bag with the things you're taking with you, and leave the rest."

"What do you mean 'the essentials'? What truck? Where are we going?" Shauntal was beginning to panic, just knowing that something was about to screw up her happiness.

Her mother gave her a worried look. "Didn't your father tell you? We're moving, Shauntal. Tonight, we're all leaving. I thought that you knew, we decided this last week!"

She fled to her bedroom; feeling like her world was crashing down around her. "No, this can't be happening!"

Unfortunately, she couldn't change the course of events, and that night she watched the lights of her home fade into the darkness, leaving her feeling utterly alone.

**... ... ... ... ...**

The phone ringing almost gave her a heart attack.

"Yes?" she picked up grumpily, annoyed at the distraction. Being a novelist, she hated having her train of thought interrupted.

"Is that you, my Shaunie girl?" a bright, cheerful voice asked. Like it would be someone else answering her phone.

She felt the corners of her lips quirk. A long time family friend, Alder always had the ability to make her smile. She hadn't seen him in the last couple of years, so it was nice to hear from him. "Yeah, it's me. What's up?"

"What makes you think I'm not just ringing up to say hi?" She raised an eyebrow –even though he couldn't see her- and waited. "Hehe, alright, you got me. There's a position at the League open; one of my Elites just retired, and I was wondering if you were interested."

She blinked, caught off guard. The League was very prestigious, and positions were invitation-only. It was very, very hard for someone to join, and for her to just be offered it out of the blue... "Why would you choose me? I'm not the best at battling, Alder. My Pokemon and I don't really train. Actually, they prefer to disappear most of the time. I doubt I'm the best choice." She refused to think of her oldest friend swearing he'd become a member of the Elite Four someday.

"Oh well, I chose you. Now, when are you getting here? Trust me, Shauntal, you'll love it here! You get anything your heart desires, unlimited practice time, catered food, and you can decorate the room any way you want. If you want your own library, that's fine."

Great, now he was bribing her, playing off her love of books. "You're horrible," she informed him, unable to hide a smile when he started laughing.

"Did I get your attention though? C'mon Shauntal, please?" Now he was begging.

She bit her lip, feeling her resolve weakening. A chance to improve her battling, maybe learn some new things for her stories. No! She wasn't cut out for that. Was she? Alder seemed to believe in her..."I'll do it," she found herself saying, and slapped her forehead. What had possessed her to say yes?

"Yes! Excellent, I'll see you soon then. Tomorrow would be great; I'll be there to meet you. See you later!"

"No, wait Alder!" The dial tone met her ears. "Thanks a lot for the advance notice," she muttered, sighing when she realized she'd have to start packing now.

...

The League was...imposing. Huge, towering buildings made her feel small and insignificant.

_What the hell am I doing here? _she thought, staring open-mouthed at her surroundings.

"Shaunie!" Alder called, appearing at the top of the stairs. "Glad you could make it! Let me introduce you to the others." He swept a hand back, and she noticed three other figures standing there. "This is Caitlin," he indicated a beautiful blonde woman, who inclined her head "Marshal," a muscular man waved and punched the air. "And our third member is-"

"I don't believe it," a half-forgotten voice said amazedly.

"No freaking way. Guess you fulfilled your goal, huh Grimsley?" She found herself grinning, as her old friend nodded.

"What about you? Have you started your end of the bargain?"

She thought for a moment, back to what seemed like forever ago. "Err...oh, yes! I finally managed to tie my thoughts into something comprehensible." She remembered her vague promise to write her stories down if Grimsley joined the Elite Four.

"Well, now I feel a bit third-wheel," Marshal announced. She turned to face him, mortified that she could just ignore them like that. She was about to apologize when Caitlin cut her off.

"Don't worry about it. We're glad you know someone already. We'll speak with you later on, if you don't mind. But for now, I think it's best if we let you two catch up. Coming Marshal, Alder?" She swept aside, casting an imperious glance back at them, as they followed shrugging to each other.

"Well now that we're alone, how are you really?" He sat down on the last step and waited.

Smoothing out her skirt, she perched on the edge, wondering how to reply. "Alright, I guess," she answered finally.

"Where did you disappear to way back then? I went to your house to find you had disappeared." His tone was carefully neutral.

She avoided his gaze. "My parents had apparently decided to move the week before, and failed to tell me. First time I heard of it was the night after our battle."

"That's right, I'd forgotten we battled that day. Hey..." He turned to face her, and she finally took in his appearance. All the promise of his teenage years had been fulfilled. The man in front of her was gorgeous, and he made all the female parts of her sit up and take notice. "I do believe you owe me a date," he said, smirking at her dumbfounded expression.

She'd completely forgotten about their wager. He was telling the truth, though, she had promised to go out with him. "Err...right. I did say that, didn't I? Although I doubt you really want to go to that restaurant anymore." She was disappointed at that, and shook herself mentally.

"I never cared about the restaurant." His admission stunned her. She searched her murky memories. Wasn't that the whole point of their wager, though? He'd wanted someone to visit there with him? "However, I think I would still like to collect my winnings. That is...if you don't mind." Suddenly, he was the one avoiding her gaze.

"...Sure," she whispered, feeling her heartbeat speed up.

"Would tonight be too early for you? Last time, I thought to wait a day, and you ended up disappearing for five-odd years," he said dryly.

"Tonight's fine, and that was not my fault!" she huffed, crossing her arms.

His laughter followed her as they arranged to meet again later.

...

Shauntal waited on the top step, nervously adjusting the short, sleeveless dress she was wearing. In her hair rested a light purple bow.

"I hope you weren't waiting long," his voice said into her ear, and she jumped.

"Uh...no, no. I just got here," she managed to say.

"Oh good." He presented her with a rose. "This is for you." He handed it to her, and she felt a fluttering in her stomach.

"Thank you," she whispered.

He smiled warmly at her. "Now, since my favourite restaurant is miles away, I thought you would rather take a walk with me through our parks here."

She couldn't help grinning. He remembered! She still loved the beauty of parks, and often went to one to write. "That sounds great," she said with feeling, and he offered her his arm.

The park was gorgeous, with tall, interlinked trees, a stepping stone-type path, and rows upon rows of lit candles.

"Did you do this?" she asked, not quite sure if they were normal or not.

"Ahh...not quite. I made Marshal do it. Gave him something to do." He grinned wickedly, and she raised an eyebrow. "Yes, it was a bet."

"Figures," she laughed, and then stopped as they came to a beautiful, laid-out picnic. "Wow." She blinked, taking it all in.

"Is this not to your liking?"

She heard a faint tremor of worry in his voice. "No, no, this is amazing. Far better than a restaurant!" She sat down, patting the ground next to her.

After eating far too many delicious little sandwiches, drinking the expensive wine, and laughing and chatting with her old friend, Shauntal didn't want to night to end. Eventually though, they mutually decided that it was time to retire.

"Tonight was amazing. So different from anything I've ever done," she mused, accepting his hand to help her stand up. He pulled her forward, and her balance was off, sending her crashing against his chest. "Ah, I'm s-" Her protest was violently cut off by his lips claiming hers. She felt herself melt, letting her hands run through his hair and pulling him closer as he gently forced her mouth open, letting his heat fill her mouth.

"I've waited forever to do that," he murmured, pulling back to stare at her. "It just took me a lot longer than I thought. I wanted to admit I've been in love with you for as long as I remember on our date, but you left before I could. I thought..." he swallowed "...you knew, and were running away." He ducked his head, and she pressed herself closer.

"You were the only one I ever noticed, Grimsley. I wanted so badly for you to notice me too, but I never thought-" He cut her off again, kissing her fiercely. This time it was she who broke the kiss. "What about all those girls you dated in school? And no doubt you've had plenty of girlfriends since." She wanted everything out in the open, to know _for sure_ that she was the only one.

"Yes, I've dated a lot of women. But every time, I was wishing she was you," he said softly, effectively cutting off her protests once again by pulling her against him. "Don't ever leave me again," he whispered against her neck.

"Never. When two people are meant to be together, destiny keeps pulling them back to each other. Every major stepping stone of my life has involved you, and you're never getting rid of me again." She smiled up at him. "So there!"

"What about all the stepping stones of your life to come?" He stroked the back of her head, letting her hair run through his fingers.

"Well...I was kind of hoping you might be there with me for them," she offered, twining her fingers through his.

"I wouldn't be anywhere else."

**... ... ... ... ...**

Yeah, I know. Long. I'm sorry. Massive love to anyone who reviews!

-Aerococonut


End file.
